- Telkom with its partners targets to expand its mobile 4G/LTE Network with an additional 2,000 sites by 2023;
- This network expansion will see Telkom’s Network grow to four times its current 4G coverage footprint, reaching the majority of citizens across Kenya;
- This will modernise Telkom’s network, improve its service availability, and see the technology company keep to its promise of bridging the digital divide and providing Kenyans with an enhanced customer experience;
- This modernisation investment is approximately US$ 100 M.
Tuesday, November 2, 2021: Technology company Telkom, together with its partners, networks and telecommunications company Ericsson, and systems integrator NEC XON, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to add an additional 2,000 sites onto Telkom’s network, by 2023.
The nationwide rollout, is part of Telkom’s long-term network expansion strategy, announced in August last year, when it underwent a strategic reorganisation to address the digital transformation being witnessed, as well as lay the groundwork towards the company’s long-term goal to become the technology partner of choice in Kenya and the region.
Telkom has been reviewing its long-term strategy as it moves into its next phase of transformation in line with its focus areas, driven by the ICT industry’s local and global transitions, and in particular, a heightened demand for infrastructure, data, as well as digital financial services. The company identified its fibre infrastructure, mobile network, as well as its mobile financial services as areas for further investment and growth this year and beyond. Gradually, these investments will contribute significantly to enhancing service provision and customer experience. To this end, Telkom is currently upgrading and expanding its 4G capacity in the Coast region.
Telkom’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Mugo KIBATI says:
“Two of our commitments are to better position our infrastructure asset base and services to drive digital transformation within our various Customer segments thus providing them with more value, as well as bridge the digital divide through the expansion of our Mobile Data network. We are already working on the upgrade and expansion of our network at the Coast. The partnership we have signed today will see Telkom and our partners kick off a new network expansion project, guided by our long-term growth strategy.”
Mr. KIBATI adds:
“Data is a fundamental human right and for us at Telkom. It is now emerging as a daily necessity. The customer is also demanding more competitive and comprehensive products that address their different and ever-changing needs: browsing, downloading, streaming, mobile money transactions, reading the news online, and updating their apps; actions that are now very important to everyday life. The development of new products and solutions such as Madaraka Life, but more importantly, the provision of the network needed to access these services, is a priority for us at Telkom.”
Earlier this year, Mr. KIBATI said that Telkom remains cognisant of the integral role the technology company’s core terrestrial network plays in keeping customers connected.
“We continue with our long-term terrestrial network expansion plan that is informed by our overall company strategy, which will see us scale up to 80% of our network to 4G, increase our network footprint across the country, and get more Kenyans online. Our partnership with Ericsson and NEC XON is testament to this.”
The Vice President and Managing Director of Ericsson South and East Africa, Mr. Todd ASHTON says:
“Telkom and Ericsson have a close, collaborative and visionary relationship spanning many years. Our latest collaboration will increase mobile coverage across the country, to provide a seamless data experience to Kenyans. In line with Kenya’s Vision 2030, more people will have access to affordable Internet that will enable business continuity for people and enterprises contributing to the economic growth in Kenya and in setting #AfricaInMotion. This is just the beginning, with the LTE expansion setting the foundation to deploy 5G in the future.”
NEC XON’s General Manager – Wireless, Mr. Willem WENTZEL says:
“We are assisting Telkom to roll out a leading, robust 4G network with a future-proof foundation to enable their strategic vision to compete as one of the major East African service providers. The rollout augments Telkom’s existing network infrastructure by delivering world-class quality of experience (QoE) to more customers across a much wider coverage area.”
This network expansion will also see Telkom connect more than 200 learning institutions as well as over 30 medical facilities to the Internet, thereby boosting the use of remote learning and e-health solutions.
Mr. KIBATI concludes:
“One of the other positive outcomes of this network expansion project is the opportunity it presents to our existing teams; to up-skill and get trained on the latest technology and global best practice in the sector.”
Ends…/
ABOUT TELKOM:
Telkom is a technology company that provides integrated solutions to individuals, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), Government and large corporates in Kenya, drawing from a diverse solutions suite that includes voice, data/connectivity, digital financial services, as well as network services. Powered by its vast fibre optic infrastructure, it is also a major provider of wholesale carrier-to-carrier traffic, within the country and the region.
These services are primarily offered through our Service Delivery Units: Digital (that offers: Data Centre Services, Cloud, Managed Services, Connectivity, Broadband, Carrier-to-Carrier traffic, and Backbone Infrastructure); Consumer (that offers: Data, Voice, VAS, and Content) and Digital Financial Services (through our platform T-kash).
Telkom is also building on strong, consumer-centric ethos and is committed to providing innovative, accessible and refreshingly simple communications solutions that suit customers’ everyday communication needs.
Established as a telecommunications operator in April 1999, Telkom is 60 per cent owned by Helios Investment Partners, with the remaining stake held by Kenyans through the Government of Kenya. Telkom has 4,152 km of its own terrestrial fibre cabling, serving as a key conduit for broadband connectivity, inland. Telkom Kenya also owns a 22.5% stake in TEAMS, a 5,000km undersea fibre optic cable through Fujairah, UAE, and a 10% stake in LION2, another 2,700km undersea fibre optic cable through Mauritius. It also owns a stake in the East African Submarine System Cable (EASSy) and manages the National Optic Fibre Backbone Infrastructure (NOFBI), on behalf of the Ministry of ICT, an inland fibre optic cable network running through Kenyan counties. Telkom is also the landing partner for the LION2, EASSy, DARE 1 and lately, the PEACE Cables.
Please visit www.telkom.co.ke to get to know more about Telkom.
ABOUT NEC XON:
NEC XON is the combination of XON, a Systems Integrator providing custom ICT and security services and solutions in Southern Africa since 1996, and NEC Africa, the African business of the global technology giant NEC Corporation. NEC Corporation implemented its first communication solution in Africa in 1963 and established NEC Africa in 2011 to grow its business ICT and public safety.
Kapela Capital (Pty) Ltd, XON’s B-BBEE partner since 2010, continues as NEC XON’s B-BBEE partner in South Africa, with Israel Skosana as chairman of the board of directors of NEC XON.
NEC generates global revenues in excess of $30 billion by orchestrating a brighter world for public entities, enterprises, telecoms carriers, and providing system platforms for businesses.
The combined NEC Africa and XON (NEC XON) operations seek to more fully explore the opportunities for safe city, energy, cyber security, telecommunication solutions, retail, managed services, cyber defence services and cloud (both public and private), among others in sub-Sahara Africa.
NEC XON maintains its head offices in Gauteng, South Africa with a footprint that covers all nine provinces in South Africa and 16 countries in sub-Sahara Africa.
ABOUT ERICSSON:
Ericsson enables communications service providers to capture the full value of connectivity. The company’s portfolio spans the business areas Networks, Digital Services, Managed Services and Emerging Business. It is designed to help our customers go digital, increase efficiency and find new revenue streams. Ericsson’s innovation investments have delivered the benefits of mobility and mobile broadband to billions of people globally. Ericsson stock is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and on Nasdaq New York. www.ericsson.com